Going 1099 is a book that teaches you how to become a solo federal sub-contractor and gain control of your working life, earn more money and unlock more free time. I wrote it because quite a few people have asked me how they can become a 1099. I figured it was best to write a single book that I can send them and that I can share with others who are interested. This newsletter goes out Monday - Friday and covers topics that will help you succeed in starting and maintaining successful 1099 career.
The psychological risk of a high bill rate
If you managed to negotiate a high 1099 bill rate, congratulations! The highest I've ever billed is $183/hour. I then took a gig billing $162/hour, because it allowed me to hire an employee. But now that I'm in the market for another 1099 gig, I'm psychologically anchored to a minimum of $160/hour and would really prefer $180/hour. The problem is, there aren't a ton of gigs for my type of work at $180/hour. They exist, but there are less of them. There are far more $120/hour - $150/hour gigs out there, but I have been unwilling to entertain them, because I have an ego attachment to the highest bill rate I've ever achieved. So if you end up taking a high bill rate gig, I'd recommend taking these precautions
If you do this, you'll have more options for 1099 gigs and probably be in a better financial position longer term. If you're interested in learning how to get your first solo 1099 federal sub-contract, check out my book: |
I'm Dale, the author of Going 1099
Going 1099 is a book that teaches you how to become a solo federal sub-contractor and gain control of your working life, earn more money and unlock more free time. I wrote it because quite a few people have asked me how they can become a 1099. I figured it was best to write a single book that I can send them and that I can share with others who are interested. This newsletter goes out Monday - Friday and covers topics that will help you succeed in starting and maintaining successful 1099 career.
Grandpa Simpson commands SME level ratesSource Here's a rough bill rate estimate based on your experience level. Obviously, depending on what you do and the particulars of your contract, this could change dramatically, but I just want to give you sense of what I've seen. Junior (0-4 years experience): $75 - $100/hour Experienced (4-8 years experience) : $100 - $140/hour Very Experienced/Expert (8-15 years experience): $140 - $180 / hour Subject Matter Expert (15+ years of specialized...
Business development excitementSource I spoke with employee 1 of a 200 person government contracting company, and he described some interesting stages in a company: 0 employees - Use your network to get your first sub-contract 1 - 20 employees - Do good work, figure out some basic admin (finance/HR), get on GSA MAS or equivalent contract vehicles, leverage contacts to win small prime bids and continue to grow sub-contracts 20 - 50 employees - Hire some support staff (finance, proposal...
GSA rep responding to my proposalSource This past summer I submitted a proposal to GSA to get on their Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) which allows government agencies to buy your services at pre-negotiated prices. We submitted proposed bill rates for different LCATS and the GSA rep has responded, proposing some counter prices and a lower annual escalation rate. What's interesting is that even though we are negotiating, the whole thing is very routine. She asked that we just respond to her...